China Unveils National Five-Year Plan Calling for Mass Deployment of Autonomous Vehicles by 2030

jidounten-lab.com reported on Sept. 20, 2026, that China had unveiled a national five-year plan calling for mass deployment of autonomous vehicles by 2030. We have not verified the primary source, so please consult the original for details.

According to the announcing source, China set out both the full-scale adoption of autonomous vehicles by 2030 and the safety performance requirements for commercial approval. This means that institutional frameworks for certification and the allocation of responsibility, not just vehicle performance, are prerequisites for commercialization. For those introducing autonomous driving, practical requirements include not only technical specifications but also which roads the vehicles can use and who handles violations.

What is new in this plan is that it explicitly sets the spread of autonomous vehicles as a national goal while making safety performance “significantly exceeding that of human drivers” a prerequisite for commercial approval. Rather than simply encouraging adoption, it sets approval conditions first, suggesting a design that advances wider deployment and regulatory development simultaneously. On the other hand, although it calls for mass deployment by 2030, it sets no numerical targets for adoption rates or vehicle numbers. In other words, the plan prioritizes institutionalizing the scope of use by road category and safety standards over quantitative targets. Compared with this newspaper’s related articles, Toyota to Introduce Level 2++ in 2028; Nissan to Commercialize Next-Generation ProPILOT Featuring Wayve by March 2028 and Sankei Reports Tesla’s Robotaxi “Cybercab” Has Begun Operations, China’s move stands out because it establishes the conditions for deployment in advance by bringing together road traffic laws and industrial policy, rather than focusing on individual companies’ product launches. This shows that the framework for allocating responsibility and granting commercial approval, as well as vehicle performance, can determine competitiveness. In particular, the proposal for manufacturers or importers to handle violations committed while autonomous driving functions are active is expected to increase the importance of real-world driving data, the division of responsibility and certification procedures. The impact extends beyond automakers to the broader industry. The stricter the safety standards, the more important it becomes to assemble software, sensors, operational monitoring and accident-response systems that can meet certification requirements. China’s approach here is to redefine the legal framework for market entry, rather than simply accelerate technological development. The next issues to watch are which road categories will be approved first, how safety performance for commercial approval will be measured, and how the legal amendments under review by the National People’s Congress will be implemented in practice. Please consult the original for details.

In Japan, Toyota and Nissan have announced timelines for commercializing advanced driver-assistance systems, while China is preparing to establish road categories, safety standards and the allocation of responsibility in advance through regulation. For Japanese companies, competitiveness may depend not only on vehicle features but also on how certification, regulations and the handling of liability in accidents are combined.